Jump to content

Casino Royale (2006 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the 2006 film. For the non-Eon produced film of the same name, see Casino Royale (1967 film).

Casino Royale
The poster shows Daniel Craig as James Bond, wearing a business suit with a loose tie and holding a gun. Behind him is a silhouette of a woman showing a building with a sign reading "Casino Royale" and a dark grey Aston Martin DBS below the building. At the bottom left of the image is the title "Casino Royale" – bothшп "O"s stand above each other, and below them is a 7 with a trigger and gun barrel, forming Bond's codename: "Agent 007" – and the credits.
UK theatrical release poster
Directed byMartin Campbell
Screenplay by
Based onCasino Royale
by Ian Fleming
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPhil Méheux
Edited byStuart Baird
Music byDavid Arnold
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing[1]
Release dates
  • 14 November 2006 (2006-11-14) (London)
  • 16 November 2006 (2006-11-16) (United Kingdom)
  • 17 November 2006 (2006-11-17) (United States)
Running time
144 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom[2]
  • United States
  • Czech Republic
  • Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$102[3]-150 million[4]
Box office$616 million[4]

Casino Royale is a 2006 spy action thriller film, the twenty-first in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the third screen adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1953 novel of the same name. Directed by Martin Campbell from a screenplay by Neil Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis, it stars Daniel Craig in his first appearance as Bond, alongside Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, and Jeffrey Wright. In the film, Bond is on a mission to bankrupt terrorism financier Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen) in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro.

Following Die Another Day (2002), Eon decided to reboot the franchise,[5][6] attempting to provide a realistic exploration of a less experienced and more vulnerable Bond.[7] Casting involved a widespread search for a new actor to succeed Pierce Brosnan as Bond; the choice of Craig, announced in October 2005, initially proved controversial. Principal photography took place in the Bahamas, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic, with interior sets built at Pinewood Studios and Barrandov Studios. Casino Royale features primarily practical stuntwork as opposed to the computer-generated placements seen in other Bond films.

Casino Royale premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 14 November 2006, and was theatrically released first in the United Kingdom on 16 November, and in the United States a day later. The film received critical acclaim, with praise for Craig's reinvention of the character and the departure from the tropes of previous Bond films. It grossed over $616 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2006 and the highest-grossing James Bond film until the release of Skyfall (2012). A sequel, Quantum of Solace, was released in 2008. Since its release, Casino Royale has been considered to be one the best spy thriller of all time, and one of the best film of 21st Century.

Plot

[edit]

MI6 operative James Bond earns his "licence to kill" and promotion to 00 agent status by assassinating the traitorous Dryden and his contact in Prague. In Uganda, Mr. White introduces Steven Obanno, a high-ranking member of the Lord's Resistance Army, to Le Chiffre, an Albanian private banker to terrorists. Obanno entrusts Le Chiffre with $100 million. Using knowledge of his upcoming terrorist attack on aerospace manufacturer Skyfleet, Le Chiffre shorts the company's stock.

In Madagascar, Bond destroys an embassy while capturing and then killing a bomb maker named Mollaka. MI6 chief M criticises Bond for causing an international incident and ignoring her orders to take Mollaka alive. Information on Mollaka's phone leads Bond to the Bahamas and corrupt Greek official Alex Dimitrios, who had hired Mollaka to bomb Skyfleet's prototype airliner at the request of Le Chiffre. After winning Dimitrios's vintage Aston Martin in a poker game and seducing his wife Solange, Bond pursues Dimitrios to Miami. Bond fights off an attack by Dimitrios and kills him. At the airport, Bond chases down the new bomber Dimitrios has hired and prevents the destruction of the Skyfleet airliner. With the Skyfleet stock secure, Le Chiffre loses Obanno's money. Realising that somebody talked about the terrorist plot, Le Chiffre tortures Solange to death.

To recoup his client's money, Le Chiffre organizes a Texas hold 'em tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. MI6 enters Bond—the agency's best poker player—in the tournament, believing a defeat will force Le Chiffre to seek asylum with the British government in exchange for information on his clients. Bond is paired with Vesper Lynd, a British Treasury agent overseeing the $10 million buy-in. They meet their contact, René Mathis, in Montenegro. Obanno, furious that his money is missing, threatens Le Chiffre, but allows him to continue playing to win back the money. Obanno and his bodyguard attack Bond, who kills them both. Bond loses his $10 million stake after Le Chiffre is tipped off about his own tell, and Vesper refuses to authorize an additional $5 million for Bond to continue. Fellow player and CIA agent Felix Leiter stakes Bond the money in exchange for letting the CIA take Le Chiffre into custody. Le Chiffre's lover Valenka poisons Bond but Vesper rescues him. Bond returns to the game and wins the tournament. Le Chiffre kidnaps Vesper to trap Bond and takes them to an abandoned ship. He tortures Bond to reveal the password to the bank account holding the winnings, but Bond resists. Mr. White bursts in and kills Le Chiffre, but spares Bond and Vesper.

Bond awakens in hospital and recovers with Vesper. He has Mathis arrested, believing that he had tipped off Le Chiffre. Bond falls in love with Vesper and resigns from MI6, and the couple sail to Venice. When M reveals that his winnings were never transferred to the British treasury, Bond realizes that Vesper has betrayed him. He tracks her to an exchange of the money, where gunmen spot him and take her captive inside a Venetian palace undergoing restoration. Bond destroys the flotation devices, causing it to sink into the Grand Canal as he kills the shooters. Vesper is trapped in the elevator, and Bond dives into the canal to rescue her. Vesper locks herself in to prevent Bond from saving her and drowns. Bond attempts to resuscitate her, but fails, and Mr. White escapes with the money.

M informs Bond, who has returned to service, that the organization behind Le Chiffre[n 1] threatened to kill Vesper's lover unless she became a double agent. When Bond denounces Vesper as a traitress, M reasons that she likely made a deal with White by trading the winnings for Bond's life. Realizing Vesper left her phone to help him, Bond checks the contacts and locates Mr. White at an estate in Lake Como. He shoots White in the leg and introduces himself: "The name's Bond, James Bond".

Cast

[edit]
  • Daniel Craig as James Bond: A British MI6 officer newly assigned 00 status, giving him a licence to kill. He is sent on a mission to arrest a bomb-maker in Madagascar, where he stumbles upon Le Chiffre's terrorist cell and is then sent to defeat him in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale.
  • Eva Green as Vesper Lynd: A British Treasury agent who falls in love with James Bond.
  • Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre: A banker who services many of the world's criminals and terrorists and associate partner of SPECTRE, he is a mathematical genius and expert chess player, using these skills when playing poker.
  • Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis: Bond's contact in Montenegro.
  • Jesper Christensen as Mr. White: A liaison for an unnamed criminal organization (the nature of this group is explored more in the next film, Quantum of Solace).
  • Judi Dench as M: The head of MI6. Although she feels she has promoted Bond too soon and chides him for his rash actions, she plays an important maternal figure in his life. Dench was the only cast member retained from the Pierce Brosnan films.
  • Tobias Menzies as Villiers: M's young secretary at MI6 headquarters. His character's last name is a reference to James Villiers, who portrayed Bill Tanner in For Your Eyes Only, and to the character of Amherst Villiers in the original novel.[8]
  • Isaach de Bankolé as Steven Obanno: A leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, he is introduced to Le Chiffre by Mr. White to account his finances.
  • Simon Abkarian as Alex Dimitrios: A contractor in the international criminal underworld and associate of Le Chiffre, he is based in the Bahamas.
  • Ivana Miličević as Valenka: Le Chiffre's girlfriend and henchwoman, she accompanies him to the poker game.
  • Caterina Murino as Solange Dimitrios: Dimitrios's wife; Bond seduces her, causing her unintentionally to reveal one of his plans. After Bond kills Dimitrios, she is found tortured and killed.
  • Claudio Santamaria as Carlos: A terrorist employed by Le Chiffre to blow up an aircraft.
  • Sébastien Foucan as Mollaka: A bomb-maker pursued by Bond through a construction site in Madagascar. Credited in opening title cards under "Free running stunts".
  • Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter: A CIA operative, he is participating in the poker tournament while assisting Bond. This is the first Eon-produced Bond film in which Leiter is played by a black actor. (Leiter was played by black actor Bernie Casey in Never Say Never Again, which was not produced by Eon.)

Casino Royale includes a cameo by British entrepreneur Richard Branson (seen being TSA-screened at Miami International Airport). The cameo was cut out of the in-flight versions shown on British Airways' in-flight entertainment systems, and the Virgin Atlantic aircraft Branson supplied had its tail fin (bearing the company logo) obscured.[9] Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio makes an unspoken cameo as a tennis player.[10]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Casino Royale had been produced as a 1954 television episode starring Barry Nelson as Bond and Peter Lorre as the villain Le Chiffre, as well as a non-canonical 1967 ensemble satirical film starring David Niven, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen. Eon Productions gained the rights to Casino Royale in 1999 after Sony Pictures Entertainment exchanged them for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)'s rights to Spider-Man.[11] In March 2004, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade began writing a screenplay for Pierce Brosnan as Bond, aiming to bring back the flavour of Ian Fleming's original Bond novels.[12] An early draft featured Bond backpacking in Madagascar and playing chess with Lord Lucan.[13] As the drafts became closer to being finalized, the opening scene in which Bond earns his 00 license was originally going to consist of an adaptation of either the short stories "The Hildebrand Rarity" or "007 in New York." Rather than bombing the Skyfleet jet, there would have been a hijacking of a cruise ship in Cape Town.[13]

Director Quentin Tarantino expressed interest in directing an adaptation of Casino Royale,[14] but Eon was not interested. He claims to have worked behind the scenes with the Fleming family, and believed this was the reason why filmmakers finally went ahead with Casino Royale.[15] Tarantino also said he would have set it in the 1960s and would only have made it with Pierce Brosnan as Bond.

In February 2005, Martin Campbell, who previously directed GoldenEye (1995), was announced as the film's director.[16] Campbell felt Purvis and Wade's draft needed a rewrite, and suggested hiring Paul Haggis whose main contribution was to rewrite the climax of the film. Haggis explained, "the draft that was there was very faithful to the book and there was a confession, so in the original draft, the character confessed and killed herself. She then sent Bond to chase after the villains; Bond chased the villains into the house. I don't know why but I thought that Vesper had to be in the sinking house and Bond has to want to kill her and then try and save her."[17] Haggis also said they wanted "to do for Bond what Batman Begins did for Batman."[18] Broccoli and Wilson thought that "Die Another Day had become too fantastical",[19] feeling the next film should be more realistic. Later that same year, Sony led a consortium that purchased MGM, allowing Sony to gain distribution rights starting with the film.[20] Broccoli also felt that frivolity didn't feel appropriate after the 9/11 attacks.[21]

Eon believed that it had relied too heavily on computer-generated imagery effects in the more recent films, particularly Die Another Day, and was keen to accomplish the stunts in Casino Royale "the old fashioned way".[22] In keeping with this drive for more realism, screenwriters Purvis, Wade and Haggis wanted the script to follow as closely as possible the original 1953 novel, keeping Fleming's darker storyline and characterization of Bond.[23] Due to copyright issues related to the ownership of Thunderball, the organization of which Mr White is a part is not named SPECTRE.[24]

Casting

[edit]

Pierce Brosnan had signed a deal for four films when he was cast in the role of James Bond. This was fulfilled with the production of Die Another Day in 2002 and Brosnan officially announced he was stepping down in February 2004. At one point, producer Michael G. Wilson claimed over 200 names were being considered for his replacement.[25] Croatian actor Goran Višnjić auditioned for the role the same day as Craig, but was reportedly unable to master an English accent.[26] New Zealander Karl Urban was considered, but was unable to make the screen test due to filming commitments.[27] According to Martin Campbell, Henry Cavill was the only other actor in serious contention for the role, but at 22 years old, he was considered too young.[28] Cavill would later say that he was turned down by Campbell as he considered him out of shape for the part.[29] Australian actor Sam Worthington and Scottish actor Dougray Scott were also considered.[30][31] Scottish actor Sam Heughan and Welsh actor Matthew Rhys also auditioned.[32][33][34] Scottish actor David Tennant was reportedly considered, although Tennant himself did not know he was on the shortlist until years later.[35] Campbell and casting directors Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins recalled meeting with Alex O'Loughlin, Julian McMahon, Ewan McGregor, Rupert Friend, and Antony Starr to discuss the role.[36]

In May 2005, British actor Daniel Craig stated that MGM and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli had assured him he would get the role of Bond. Matthew Vaughn told reporters MGM had offered him the opportunity to direct the new film, but Eon Productions at that point had not approached either of them.[37] A year beforehand, Craig rejected the idea of starring, as he felt the series had descended into formula; only when he read the script did he become interested. Craig read all of Fleming's novels to prepare for the part, and cited Mossad and British Secret Service agents who served as advisers on the set of Munich as inspiring because, "Bond has just come out of the service and he's a killer. [...] You can see it in their eyes, you know immediately: oh, hello, he's a killer. There's a look. These guys walk into a room and very subtly they check the perimeters for an exit. That's the sort of thing I wanted."[38]

On 14 October 2005, Eon Productions, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and MGM announced at a press conference in London that Craig would be the sixth actor to portray James Bond. Taking time off from reshoots for The Invasion, a business-suit clad, rather long-haired Craig boarded a Royal Marines Rigid Raider from HMS Belfast before travelling to HMS President, where he was introduced to the world's press.[39][40] Controversy followed the decision, with some critics and fans expressing doubt the producers had made the right choice. Throughout the entire production period, Internet campaigns such as "danielcraigisnotbond.com" expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott the film in protest.[41] Craig, unlike previous actors, was not considered by the protesters to fit the tall, dark, handsome and charismatic image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed.[42] The Daily Mirror ran a front-page news story critical of Craig, with the headline, The Name's Bland – James Bland.[43] Craig was also asked to dye his hair brown for the role but he refused calling it "out of the question"; he instead suggested to cut his hair short for more a "brutal appearance".[44]

The next important casting was that of the lead Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. Casting director Debbie McWilliams acknowledged Hollywood actresses Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron were "strongly considered" for the role. Belgian actress Cécile de France had also auditioned, but her English accent "wasn't up to scratch."[45] French actress Audrey Tautou was also considered, but not chosen because of her role in The Da Vinci Code, which was another Columbia Pictures film released in May 2006.[46] Rachel McAdams turned down a role in the film to focus on raising her own family.[47] Olivia Wilde and French actress Eva Green were the two finalists for the part.[48] On 16 February 2006, Green was announced to play the part.[49]

Actress Tsai Chin played a cameo role as Madame Wu. She previously portrayed Ling in You Only Live Twice.

Filming

[edit]
A man wearing a grey shirt, jeans and sunglasses sits on a boat at sea. Besides him, a man wearing a black shirt, red cap, and sunglasses talks to another, who is mostly off the picture.
Craig with Michael G. Wilson in Venice during filming aboard SV Spirit

Principal photography for Casino Royale commenced on 3 January 2006 and concluded on 20 July 2006. The film was primarily shot at Barrandov Studios in Prague, with additional location shooting in the Bahamas, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The shoot concluded at Pinewood Studios.[50] Michael G. Wilson had stated Casino Royale would either be filmed or take place in Prague and South Africa. However, Eon Productions encountered problems in securing film locations in South Africa.[51] After no other locations became available, the producers had to reconsider their options. In September 2005, Martin Campbell and director of photography Phil Méheux were scouting Paradise Island in the Bahamas as a possible location for the film.[52] On 6 October 2005, Martin Campbell confirmed Casino Royale would film in the Bahamas and "maybe Italy". In addition to the extensive location filming, studio work including choreography and stunt co-ordination practice was performed at the Barrandov Studios in Prague, and at Pinewood Studios, where the film used several stages, the paddock tank, and the 007 Stage. Further shooting in the UK was scheduled for Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, the cricket pavilion at Eton College (although that scene was cut from the completed movie), and the Millbrook Vehicle Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.[42]

The Grandhotel Pupp, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

After Prague, the production moved to the Bahamas. Several locations around New Providence were used for filming during February and March, particularly on Paradise Island. Footage set in Mbale, Uganda, was filmed at Black Park, a country park in Buckinghamshire, on 4 July 2006. Additional scenes took place at Albany House, an estate owned by golfers Ernie Els and Tiger Woods.[53] The crew returned to the Czech Republic in April, and continued there, filming in Prague, Planá, and Loket, before completing in the town of Karlovy Vary in May. Karlovy Vary was used as the exterior of the Casino Royale,[54] with the Grandhotel Pupp serving as "Hotel Splendide".[55]

The main Italian location was Venice, where the majority of the film's ending is set. The scene with Bond on a sailboat was filmed aboard a 54-foot (16 m) yacht named Spirit. She was constructed by Spirit Yachts in Suffolk, England, and had to be demasted to fit under various Venetian bridges to reach the filming location. For this reason, SV Spirit "was the first sailing boat to go up the Grand Canal in Venice for 300 years".[56]

Other scenes in the latter half of the film were shot in late May and early June at the Villa del Balbianello on the shores of Lake Como.[57] Further exterior shooting for the movie took place at properties such as the Villa La Gaeta, near the lakeside town of Menaggio.[42]

A recreation of the Body Worlds exhibit provided a setting for one scene in the film. Among the Body Worlds plastinates featured in that scene were the Poker Playing Trio (which plays a key role in one scene) and Rearing Horse and Rider. The exhibition's developer and promoter, German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, also has a cameo appearance in the film,[58] although only his trademark hat is actually visible on screen.

Effects

[edit]

In designing the credit sequence for the film, graphic designer Daniel Kleinman was inspired by the cover of the 1953 British first edition of Casino Royale, which featured Ian Fleming's original design of a playing card bordered by eight red hearts dripping with blood. Kleinman said, "The hearts not only represent cards but the tribulations of Bond's love story. So I took that as inspiration to use playing card graphics in different ways in the titles," like a club representing a puff of gun smoke, and slashed arteries spurting thousands of tiny hearts.[59] In creating the shadow images of the sequence, Kleinman digitized the footage of Craig and the film's stuntmen on the Inferno visual effects system, at Framestore CFC in London; the actors' silhouettes were incorporated into more than 20 digitally animated scenes depicting intricate and innovative card patterns. Kleinman decided not to use the female silhouettes commonly seen throughout the Bond title sequences, considering that the women did not fit with both the film's spirit and the storyline following Bond falling in love.[60]

For the rest of the film, special effects and miniature effects supervisor Chris Corbould returned to a more realistic style of film making and significantly reduced digital effects. According to Corbould, "CGI is a great tool and can be very useful, but I will fight to the tooth and nail to do something for real. It's the best way to go".[50] Three scenes involving primarily physical effects in the film were the chase at a building site in Madagascar, the Miami Airport chase sequence, and the sinking Venetian house, with sets located on the Grand Canal and in Pinewood Studios.[50]

The first scenes shot were ones involving a Madagascar building site, shot in the Bahamas on the site of a derelict hotel with which Michael G. Wilson had become acquainted in 1977 during the filming of The Spy Who Loved Me.[50] In the scene, Bond drives a digger towards the building, slamming into the concrete plinth on which Mollaka is running. The stunt team built a model and put forward several ways in which the digger could conceivably take out the concrete, including taking out the pillar underneath. A section of the concrete wall was removed to fit the digger and reinforced with steel.[50]

The sequence at Miami International Airport was partly shot at the Dunsfold Aerodrome, in Surrey, which is known from British car show Top Gear, with some footage from the Prague and Miami airports.[50] In filming the scene in which the engine thrust of the moving aircraft blows the police car high into the air, second unit director and cinematographer Alexander Witt, with help from second unit first assistant director Terry Madden and special effects floor supervisor Ian Lowe, used a crane with a strong lead cable attached to the rear bumper of the vehicle to move it up and backwards at the moment of full extension away from the plane.[50]

The Skyfleet S570 aircraft in the film was an ex-British Airways 747-200B G-BDXJ, which had its engines removed and was modified for its appearance in the film. The modified aircraft had the outboard engines replaced by external fuel tanks, while the inboard engines were replaced by a mock-up pair of engines on each inboard pylon. The cockpit profile was altered to make the 747 look like a prototype of an advanced airliner.[61]

The sinking of the Venetian house at the climax of the film featured the largest rig ever built for a Bond film,[50] with tank consisting of a Venetian piazza and the interior of an abandoned house being constructed. The rig, weighing some 90 tons, incorporated electronics with hydraulic valves that were closely controlled by computer because of the dynamic movement within the system on its two axes. The same computer system also controlled the exterior model, which the effects team had built to one-third scale to film the building eventually collapsing into the Venetian canal. The model lift within the rig could be immersed in 19 feet (5.8 m) of water, and used banks of compressors to strictly regulate movement.[50]

Aston Martin DBS driven by Bond in the film

At the time of filming, Aston Martin was still in the final phases of designing the DBS. Aston Martin delivered two working 'hero' cars to the film. In addition to the two 'hero' cars, Aston Martin had to prepare, and reinforce to withstand impact, three former development DB9s for use as DBS look-a-like stunt cars for the scene involving the car crash. Also a white prototype DB9 manual was supplied to the film crew so that the stunt drivers had something to practice with.[62] Owing to the low centre of gravity of the vehicle, an 18-inch (450 mm) ramp had to be implemented on the road tarmac at Millbrook Proving Grounds and Adam Kirley, the stunt driver who performed the stunt, had to use an air cannon located behind the driver's seat to propel the car into a roll at the precise moment of impact. At a speed exceeding 70 mph (113 km/h), the car rotated seven times while being filmed, and was confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records on 5 November 2006 as a new world record.[50]

Music

[edit]
Main article: Casino Royale (2006 soundtrack)

The soundtrack of Casino Royale, released by Sony Classical Records on 14 November 2006, featured music composed by veteran composer David Arnold, his fourth soundtrack for the Bond film series, while Nicholas Dodd orchestrated and conducted the score. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced on 26 July 2006 Chris Cornell had composed and would perform the title song, "You Know My Name".[63] The song's main notes are played throughout the film as a substitute for the James Bond Theme, to represent Bond's youth and inexperience. The classic theme only plays during the end credits to signal the climax of his character arc.[64]

Promotional marketers

[edit]

In a reported £14 million deal between the film's production and car manufacturer Ford, Ford's 2007 model Mondeo would appear in the film and it being driven by the Bond character.[65] Both Sony and Sony Ericsson also made deals, making prominent appearances of tech products in the film including a Blu-ray player, Vaio laptop, Cyber-shot camera, Walkman NW-HD5 digital music player, and a Sony Ericsson K800i handset.[66]

Release

[edit]

Casino Royale premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square, the Odeon West End and the Empire simultaneously in London on 14 November 2006. It marked the 60th Royal Film Performance and benefited the Cinema & Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF), whose patron, Queen Elizabeth II, was in attendance with the Duke of Edinburgh. Along with the cast and crew, numerous celebrities and 5,000 paying guests were also in attendance with half the proceeds benefiting the CTBF.[67]

Only two days following the premiere, unlicensed copies appeared for sale in London. "The rapid appearance of this film on the streets shows the sophistication and organisation behind film piracy in the UK," said Kieron Sharp, from the Federation Against Copyright Theft.[68] Infringing copies of the DVD were selling for less than £1.57. Craig himself was offered such a DVD while walking anonymously through the streets of Beijing wearing a hat and glasses to avoid being identified.[69]

In January 2007, Casino Royale became the first Bond film ever to be shown in mainland Chinese cinemas. The Chinese version was edited before release, with the reference to the Cold War re-dubbed and new dialogue added during the poker scene explaining the process of Texas hold 'em, as the game is less familiar in China (this addition is reminiscent of dialogue that was added to the 1954 American TV adaptation to explain the rules of baccarat, the game featured in the original book). Casino Royale has earned approximately $11.7 million in China since its opening on 30 January on 468 screens,[70] including a record opening weekend collection for a non-Chinese film, with $1.5 million.[71]

After critics dubbed Die Another Day "Buy Another Day" because of around 20 product placement deals, Eon limited their promotions for Casino Royale. Partners included Ford, Heineken (which Eva Green starred in adverts for), Smirnoff, Omega SA, Virgin Atlantic and Sony Ericsson.[72]

Home media

[edit]

Casino Royale was simultaneously released on DVD, UMD and Blu-ray on 16 March 2007.[73] In the UK, Casino Royale was released on 16 March 2007 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.[74] The DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases broke sales records: the Region 1 Blu-ray Disc edition became the highest selling high-definition title to date, selling more than 100,000 copies since its release.[75] The region 2 DVD edition achieved the record of fastest selling title for its first-week release. The UK DVD has continued to sell well, with 1,622,852 copies sold since 19 March.[76] A copy of the Blu-ray Disc edition of Casino Royale was given out to the first 500,000 PAL PlayStation 3 owners who signed up to the PlayStation Network.[77] The DVD was released in a separate two-disc widescreen and fullscreen editions,[78] both of which includes the official music video for the film, and three documentaries detailing how Daniel Craig was chosen for the role of Bond, the filming, and an expanded version of the Bond Girls Are Forever documentary incorporating new interviews with Casino Royale cast members.

A three-disc edition of Casino Royale on DVD was released in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2008, coinciding with the cinema release of the sequel, Quantum of Solace (the following week in the United States). As well as features present from the 2007 release, the collector's edition contains an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes and a storyboard-to-film comparison.[79] A two-disc Blu-ray version also followed in late 2008, featuring additional supplementary materials, enhanced interactivity through BD-Live, and the previous version's 5.1 PCM soundtrack was replaced with a similar 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack.[80]

Casino Royale was released a third time on Blu-ray in 2012 with DTS audio and deleted scenes, but it had fewer special features than the 2008 edition.[81] It was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on 25 February 2020.[82]

Cuts and censorship

[edit]

Casino Royale was censored for its release in the UK, the US, Germany and China.

In Britain, by omitting some of Le Chiffre's sadism and James Bond's reactions in the torture scene, the film received the desired BBFC 12A rating.[83] In the United States, two fight scenes were censored to achieve a PG-13 rating: the fight between Bond and the traitorous MI6 agent's contact Fisher, and the fight between Bond and Obanno in the stairway at the Casino Royale.[84]

The German edit of the film cuts a sequence where the bomb-planter at the airport breaks a man's neck, instead replacing it with an alternative take.[84] The mainland Chinese cut of the film also trims the torture scene and the stairway fight, as well as a shot of Bond cleaning his wound at the hotel, and a boat scene.

The fully uncensored version can be found on the Australian, Dutch, French, Hong Kong, Japanese, and Scandinavian Blu-ray and DVD releases, on UK Blu-ray releases from 2012 onwards (rated 15), and on the 4K UHD Blu-ray release (branded as an unrated "extended" cut).

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

Upon its release in the United Kingdom, Casino Royale broke series records on both opening day—£1.7 million[85]—and opening weekend—£13,370,969.[86] At the end of its box-office run, the film had grossed £55.4 million, making it the most successful film of the year in the UK,[87] and, as of 2011, the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time in the country.[88]

On its US opening day, Casino Royale was on top with $14.7 million; throughout the weekend, it grossed a total of $40.8 million, ranking narrowly second behind Happy Feet.[89] However, Casino Royale was playing in 370 fewer cinemas and had a better average ($11,890 per cinema, against $10,918 for Happy Feet).[90] It earned $167.4 million by the end of its run in North America,[4] becoming the highest-grossing film of the series, before being surpassed by Quantum of Solace's $168.4 million.[91]

On 18 November 2006, Casino Royale opened at the first position in 27 countries, with a weekend gross of $43.4 million in the non-UK, Irish, US and Canada markets.[92] The film retained the top spot at the worldwide box office for four weeks.[93] The film earned $167.4 million in the United States and Canada and $426.8 million from international territories, for a worldwide total of $594.2 million worldwide. It was the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2006.[4] It was the highest-grossing instalment of the James Bond series until Skyfall surpassed it in November 2012.[94] After subsequent re-releases, it has earned $616 million.[4]

Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 94% based on 263 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007."[95] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[96] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[97]

Craig's performance and credibility were particularly praised. During production, Craig had been subject to debate by the media and the public, as he did not appear to fit Ian Fleming's original portrait of the character as tall, dark and suave.[98] The Daily Telegraph compared the quality of Craig's characterization of Bond to Sean Connery's and praised the script as smartly written, noting how the film departed from the series' conventions. The Times compared Craig's portrayal of the character to that of Timothy Dalton, and praised the action as "edgy",[99] with another reviewer citing in particular the action sequence involving the cranes in Madagascar.[100] Critics Paul Arendt of BBC Films,[101] Kim Newman of Empire,[102] and Todd McCarthy of Variety[103] all described Craig as the first actor to truly embody Ian Fleming's James Bond from the original novel: ironic, brutal and cold. Arendt commented, "Craig is the first actor to really nail 007's defining characteristic: he's an absolute swine".[101]

The film was similarly well received in North America. MSNBC gave the movie a perfect 5 star rating.[104] The film was described as taking James Bond "back to his roots", similar to From Russia with Love,[105] where the focus was on character and plot rather than the high-tech gadgets and visual effects that were strongly criticized in Die Another Day.[103] Entertainment Weekly named the film as the fifth best of the series,[106] and chose Vesper Lynd as the fourth best Bond girl in the series.[107] Some newspaper columnists and critics were impressed enough by Craig's performance to consider him a viable candidate for an Academy Award nomination.[108][109][110]

Roger Ebert gave the film a four out of four star rating, and wrote that "Craig makes a superb Bond ... who gives the sense of a hard man, wounded by life and his job, who nevertheless cares about people and right and wrong," and that the film "has the answers to all my complaints about the 45-year-old James Bond series," specifically "why nobody in a Bond movie ever seems to have any real emotions."[111] Time Out New York's Joshua Rothkopf called Craig "the best Bond in the franchise's history," citing the actor's "crisp, hateful, Mamet-worthy snarl ... This is a screwed-up Bond, a rogue Bond, a bounder, a scrapper and, in the movie's astoundingly bleak coda, an openhearted lover."[112]

Vicky Allan of the Sunday Herald noted Bond himself, and not his love interests, was sexually objectified in this film: A moment where he rises from the sea is reminiscent of Ursula Andress in Dr. No; he feels "skewered" by Vesper Lynd's criticism of him; "and though it would be almost unthinkable now have a female character in a mainstream film stripped naked and threatened with genital mutilation, that is exactly what happens to Bond in [the film]." So although the film backed off from past criticism of Bond girls being sex objects, "the once invincible James Bond becomes just another joint at the meat market."[113] This sentiment is shared by the University of Leicester's James Chapman, author of Licence to Thrill, who also notes Craig's Bond is "not yet the polished article"; he felt his incarnation of Bond is close to Fleming's because he is "humourless," but is also different because "Fleming's Bond did not enjoy killing; Craig's Bond seems almost to relish it."[114] Andrew Sarris of The New York Observer wrote that this particular Bond film is "the very first that I would seriously consider placing on my own yearly 10-best list. Furthermore, I consider Daniel Craig to be the most effective and appealing of the six actors who have played 007, and that includes even Sean Connery."[115]

Roger Moore wrote, "Daniel Craig impressed me so greatly in his debut outing, Casino Royale, by introducing a more gritty, unrefined edge to the character that I thought Sean [Connery] might just have to move over. Craig's interpretation was like nothing we'd seen on screen before; Jimmy Bond was earning his stripes and making mistakes. It was intriguing to see him being castigated by M, just like a naughty schoolboy would be by his headmaster. The script showed him as a vulnerable, troubled, and flawed character. Quite the opposite to my Bond! Craig was, and is, very much the Bond Ian Fleming had described in the books – a ruthless killing machine. It was a Bond that the public wanted." Moore also quipped that his praise was "not heaped lightly," because he had to purchase the DVD himself.[116] Raymond Benson, the author of nine Bond novels, called Casino Royale "a perfect Bond film."[117]

The film met with mixed reactions from other critics. John Beifuss of The Commercial Appeal said, "Who wants to see Bond learn a lesson about ego, as if he were Greg Brady in his 'Johnny Bravo' phase?"[118] Anthony Lane of The New Yorker criticized the more imperfect and self-aware depiction of the character, saying, "Even James Bond, in other words, wants to be 007."[119]

American radio personality Michael Medved gave the film three stars out of four, describing it as "intriguing, audacious and very original ... more believable and less cartoonish, than previous 007 extravaganzas"; he commented further that the "sometimes sluggish pacing will frustrate some Bond fanatics."[120] Critics such as Emanuel Levy concurred, feeling the ending was too long, and that the film's terrorist villains lacked depth, although he praised Craig and gave the film a B+ overall.[121] Other reviewers responded negatively, including Tim Adams of The Observer, who felt the film came off uncomfortably in an attempt to make the series grittier.[122]

In December 2006, Casino Royale was named the best film of the year by viewers of Film 2006.[123][124] In 2009, UK ice cream company Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies launched an ice lolly moulded to resemble Craig emerging from the sea.[125][126] In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named Casino Royale the 19th-best film of the past 25 years.[127]

Accolades

[edit]

At the 2006 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, Casino Royale won the Film Award for Best Sound (Chris Munro, Eddy Joseph, Mike Prestwood Smith, Martin Cantwell, Mark Taylor), and the Orange Rising Star Award, which was won by Eva Green.[128] The film was nominated for eight BAFTA awards, including the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film of the Year; Best Screenplay (Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis); the Anthony Asquith Award for Best Film Music (David Arnold); Best Cinematography (Phil Méheux); Best Editing (Stuart Baird); Best Production Design (Peter Lamont, Simon Wakefield); Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects (Steve Begg, Chris Corbould, John Paul Docherty, Ditch Doy); and Best Actor (Daniel Craig). This made Craig the first actor ever to receive a BAFTA nomination for a performance as James Bond.[128] He also received the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor.[129]

Casino Royale won the Excellence in Production Design Award from the Art Directors Guild,[130] and singer Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" won the International Press Academy Satellite Award for Best Original Song.[131][132] The film was nominated for five Saturn Awards—Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, Best Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Supporting Actress (Eva Green), Best Writing (Purvis, Wade and Haggis) and Best Music (David Arnold).[133] The 2006 Golden Tomato Awards named Casino Royale the Wide Release Film of the Year.[134] Casino Royale was also nominated for, and has won, many other international awards for its screenplay,[135] film editing,[136] visual effects,[137] and production design.[138] At the 2007 Saturn Awards, the film was declared to be the Best Action/Adventure/Thriller film of 2006.[139] Several members of the crew were also recipients of 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards, including Gary Powell for Best Stunt Coordination and Ben Cooke, Kai Martin, Marvin Stewart-Campbell and Adam Kirley for Best High Work.[140]

Award Category Recipients Result
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic Stuart Baird Nominated
Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Peter Lamont Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Daniel Craig Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis Nominated
Best Cinematography Phil Méheux Nominated
Best Editing Stuart Baird Nominated
Best Original Music David Arnold Nominated
Best Production Design Peter Lamont, Lee Sandales and Simon Wakefield Nominated
Best Sound Chris Munro, Eddy Joseph, Mike Prestwood Smith, Martin Cantwell and Mark Taylor Won
Best Special Visual Effects Steve Begg, Chris Corbould, John Paul Docherty and Ditch Doy Nominated
Outstanding British Film Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Martin Campbell, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis Nominated
Costume Designers Guild Awards Excellence in Contemporary Film Lindy Hemming Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Original Song "You Know My Name" (Chris Cornell, David Arnold) Won
Saturn Awards Best Action or Adventure Film Casino Royale Won
Best Actor Daniel Craig Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Eva Green Nominated
Best Writing Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis Nominated
Best Music David Arnold Nominated
Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Special Effects in a Feature Motion Picture Chris Corbould, Peter Notley, Ian Lowe and Roy Quinn Won

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Later revealed to be Quantum in the 2008 film Quantum of Solace, which is itself revealed to be a subsidiary of Spectre in the 2015 film of the same name

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Casino Royale (2006)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Casino Royale". Lumiere. European Audiovisual Observatory. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Casino Royale". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Casino Royale (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  5. ^ Robey, Tim (12 January 2011). "Sam Mendes may have problems directing new James Bond movie". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ "IGN: Interview: Campbell on Casino Royale". IGN.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc. 19 October 2005. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2007.
  7. ^ "New James Bond Proves Worthy of Double-0 Status". Space.com. 21 October 2006. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  8. ^ "Villiers – Archivo 007: Club James Bond". archivo007.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  9. ^ "BA cuts Branson from Bond movie". BBC News. 21 April 2007. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
  10. ^ Romano, Nick (3 October 2021). "18 people you forgot were in James Bond movies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ Sterngold, James (30 March 1999). "Sony Pictures, in an accord with MGM, drops its plan to produce new James Bond movies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  12. ^ "Purvis & Wade Talk Bond & Jinx". MI6-HQ.com. 9 March 2004. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2007.
  13. ^ a b Field & Chowdhury 2015, p. 569.
  14. ^ "Kill Bill director aims for Bond". BBC News. 16 May 2004. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2007.
  15. ^ Heath, Chris (June 2007). "Quentin Tarantino Interview". GQ.
  16. ^ Eon Productions (3 February 2005). "James Bond 21 Is Casino Royale". MI6-HQ.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2007.
  17. ^ Lawson, Mark (4 December 2007). "Paul Haggis". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
  18. ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (17 June 2020). "Batman Begins at 15: How Christopher Nolan's superhero film changed the fate of James Bond". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  19. ^ Lambie, Ryan (24 October 2012). "Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson interview: producing Skyfall". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Consortium Led by Sony Corporation of America, Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Comcast Corporation, and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" (Press release). Sony Corporation. 23 September 2004. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2007.
  21. ^ Mottram, James; Berk, Philip; Free, Erin (21 February 2019). "The Dawn Of A New Bond: The Making Of Casino Royale". Film Ink.
  22. ^ Alberge, Dayla (14 March 2006). "Fake stunts banished as new Bond keeps it real". The Times. UK. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  23. ^ Silberg, Jon (December 2006). "High Stakes for 007". American Cinematographer. pp. 42–57. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  24. ^ Klimek, Chris (6 November 2015). "The Messy, Improbable History of SPECTRE". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Daniel Craig takes on 007 mantle". BBC News. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2007. Michael G. Wilson said 200 actors had been considered
  26. ^ "Bond race 'entering final stages'". BBC News. 29 September 2005. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  27. ^ "Karl Urban interview at Supanova Sydney". Cumberland Courier. 29 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  28. ^ Chavez, Kellvin. "Exclusive interview with Martin Campbell on Zorro and Bond". Latino Review. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  29. ^ "Henry Cavill Won't Back Down". Men's Health. 19 November 2019. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  30. ^ Fleming, Michael (5 November 2008). "Casting begins for War, Titans". Variety. Archived from the original on 9 November 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  31. ^ Lang, Brent (15 December 2022). "'Avatar,' Sobriety and Hollywood Clashes: How Sam Worthington Lost and Found His Star Power". Variety. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  32. ^ "Sam Heughan wants to 'throw hat in the ring' for Bond: "I feel capable enough to do it"". Radio Times. 15 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  33. ^ "Sam Heughan once auditioned for James Bond (And other insights from his new memoir)". Entertainment Weekly. 24 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  34. ^ "Matthew Rhys: the day I blew my audition for James Bond". The Times. 21 April 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  35. ^ "'David Tennant was considered alongside Daniel Craig to play James Bond'". Sky News. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  36. ^ Field & Chowdhury 2015, p. 571.
  37. ^ "Craig, Vaughn on Bond". IGN. 3 May 2005. Archived from the original on 16 October 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2006.
  38. ^ Grant, Richard (11 October 2008). "Daniel Craig: Quantum of Solace". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
  39. ^ "Daniel Craig confirmed as 006th screen Bond". The Guardian. UK. 14 October 2005. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2007.
  40. ^ "Film of the arrival". Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  41. ^ "Anti-Craig Bond Fans Call for 'Casino Royale' Boycott". Moono. 23 February 2006. Archived from the original on 19 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  42. ^ a b c La Monica, Paul R. (6 November 2006). "Blond, James Blond". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  43. ^ "The Name's Bland.. James Bland". Daily Mirror. UK. 15 October 2005. Archived from the original on 14 April 2006. Retrieved 27 December 2006.
  44. ^ "The blond Mr Bond who wouldn't live and let dye". 11 April 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  45. ^ "Casino Royale Bond girl candidates". MI6-HQ.com. 7 July 2006. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  46. ^ "The New Bond Girls!". Superhero Hype!. 7 July 2006. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2006.
  47. ^ Leach, Samantha (18 April 2023). "Rachel McAdams is Worth Waiting for". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  48. ^ Field & Chowdhury 2015, p. 574.
  49. ^ "New Bond Girl Will Be 'Very Much an Equal to Bond'". IMDb. 17 February 2006. Archived from the original on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  50. ^ a b c d e f g h i j James Bond: For Real (DVD). Special Treats Productions. 2006.
  51. ^ Cox, John (8 August 2005). "Eon facing South African detour". CommanderBond.net. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  52. ^ Cox, John (13 September 2005). "Bond bound for Bahamas". CommanderBond.net. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  53. ^ "James Bond takes over Ernie and Tiger's pad". Ernie Els Official Website. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 June 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  54. ^ "Casino Royale: filming locations". Movieloci.com. 19 June 2012. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  55. ^ "On set report from Casino Royale getaway chase sequence". MI6-HQ.com. 23 May 2006. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  56. ^ "007 Yacht – Casino Royal Yacht – James Bond Yacht". Spirit Yachts. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  57. ^ "007 Nel Bel Paese". Il Giorno. Italy. 25 February 2006. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  58. ^ "Press Information & Media News". Plastinarium. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  59. ^ "Credits design". MI6-HQ.COM. 6 December 2006. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  60. ^ "Design / Casino Royale's Title Sequence". Framestore. Archived from the original on 30 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  61. ^ "Aerospaceweb.org | Ask Us - Boeing 747 in Casino Royale". www.aerospaceweb.org. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  62. ^ "DBS V12 for 007, Casino Royale". astonmartins.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  63. ^ Elzer, Steve (26 July 2006). "Chris Cornell Has Written and Will Perform the Main Title Song for Casino Royale" (Press release). Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
  64. ^ Bregt De Lange; Mario Schuurmans. "Interview with David Arnold at the World Soundtrack Awards 2007". maintitles.net. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
  65. ^ "Live and Let Drive". IGN. 3 March 2006. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  66. ^ "Tech in Spotlight: Lights! Camera! Action!". 11 October 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  67. ^ "Stars out for Bond royal premiere". BBC News. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 17 January 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  68. ^ "Studio claims 007 box office coup". BBC News. 17 November 2006. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2007.
  69. ^ "The name's Qi, Ling Ling Qi". Metro. 29 January 2007. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2007.
  70. ^ "Casino Royale (2006) – International Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  71. ^ McNary, Dave (31 January 2007). "China shows 007 the love". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
  72. ^ Graser, Marc (15 August 2008). "Brands line up for Bond sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  73. ^ "Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)". Amazon. 13 March 2007. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  74. ^ "Casino Royale and more from Sony!". dvdtimes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 December 2006. Retrieved 9 December 2006.
  75. ^ "Casino Royale Blu-ray Reaches Unit Milestone". Netscape. 28 March 2007. Archived from the original on 22 May 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  76. ^ "Bond Breaks Records". Empire Online. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  77. ^ "Casino Royale Blu-ray for PS3 early adopters". Eurogamer. 12 February 2007. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  78. ^ "Casino Royale (2-Disc Full Screen Edition)". Amazon. 25 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2007.
  79. ^ "Casino Royale Collectors Edition DVD Preview". MI6-HQ.COM. 29 July 2008. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
  80. ^ "Casino Royale Blu-ray Collector's Edition". Blu-ray.com. 3 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  81. ^ "Casino Royale Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  82. ^ "Casino Royale 4K Blu-ray Release Date February 25, 2020". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  83. ^ "Movie Censorship: Casino Royale". Movie Censorship. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014.
  84. ^ a b "Casino Royale". DVD Compare. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013.
  85. ^ "Studio claims 007 box office coup". BBC. 17 November 2006. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2007.
  86. ^ Hoyle, Ben; Bale, Joanna (20 November 2006). "Goldfinger is back: Craig is the Bond with a Midas touch". The Sunday Times. UK. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2007.
  87. ^ "Statistical Yearbook 2006/07" (PDF). UK Film Council. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  88. ^ "all time top 10 films in uk". Cinema Exhibitors' Association. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  89. ^ "Casino Royale grosses $40.6 million". Superhero Hype!. 19 November 2006. Archived from the original on 4 October 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2006.
  90. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for November 17–19, 2006 – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  91. ^ "James Bond movies". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  92. ^ Bresnan, Conor (20 November 2006). "Around the World Roundup: 'Casino' Cashes In". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 30 November 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  93. ^ Bresnan, Conor (11 December 2006). "Around the World Roundup: 'Casino' Aces Fourth Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  94. ^ "Sony Pictures Entertainment Scores Biggest Year Ever At Global Box Office, Passing $4 Billion For First Time In Studio History As Skyfall™ Becomes The Biggest Bond Of All Time" (Press release). Sony Pictures. 11 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013.
  95. ^ "Casino Royale (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  96. ^ "Casino Royale Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  97. ^ "Home - Cinemascore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  98. ^ "The Ingrid Pitt column: Craig is not Bond". Den of Geek. 30 December 2008. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  99. ^ ""Brilliant" Bond seduces critics". BBC News. 4 November 2006. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  100. ^ Wavell, Stuart (5 November 2006). "Potato Head shoots way to 007 triumph". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  101. ^ a b Arendt, Paul (17 November 2006). "Casino Royale (2006)". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  102. ^ Newman, Kim (January 2000). "Casino Royale". Empire Online. Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  103. ^ a b McCarthy, Todd (9 November 2006). "Casino Royale". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 January 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  104. ^ Hartl, John. ""Casino Royale" is Prime Bond". MSNBC. Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
  105. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (10 November 2006). "Casino Royale". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 25 January 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  106. ^ Svetkey, Benjamin; Rich, Joshua (24 November 2006). "Ranking the Bond Films". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 31 December 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  107. ^ Rich, Joshua (30 March 2007). "The 10 Best Bond Girls". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 9 September 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
  108. ^ Caro, Mark (21 December 2006). "Bond, Oscar Bond". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  109. ^ Boedecker, Hal (28 December 2006). "Hey Oscar, have you met James Bond?". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 18 May 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  110. ^ Hammond, Pete (7 December 2006). "THE SEASON: As critics ramp up, dark horses are at the gate". Hollywood Wiretap. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  111. ^ Ebert, Roger (17 September 2007). "Gold Bond". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  112. ^ Rothkopf, Joshua (16 November 2006). "Casino Royale review". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  113. ^ Allan, Vicky (27 October 2008). "For your eyes only?". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 3 January 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  114. ^ "Daniel Craig's Bond "relishes killing," professor claims". In the News. 28 October 2008. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  115. ^ Sarris, Andrew. "New Bond's Stormy Virility Trumps Connery and Moore". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on 16 November 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  116. ^ Moore, Roger (4 October 2008). "Bye bye to Ian Fleming's James Bond?". The Times. UK. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2008.
  117. ^ "James Bond Author Raymond Benson Reviews the Ultimate – Cinema Retro – Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s". Cinema Retro. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  118. ^ Beifuss, John (17 November 2006). "Casino Royale". The Commercial Appeal.
  119. ^ Lane, Anthony (20 November 2006). "Of Human Bondage". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  120. ^ Medved, Michael. "Casino Royale". Townhall.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  121. ^ Levy, Emanuel. "Casino Royale (B+)". EmanuelLevy.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2006. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  122. ^ Adams, Tim (5 November 2006). "You might be shaken, but this Bond won't leave you stirred". The Observer. UK. Archived from the original on 1 March 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2006.
  123. ^ "Film 2006: viewers vote Casino Royale top film". BBC. London. 29 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  124. ^ "007 Smash Tops Beeb Movie Poll". Daily Mirror. London. 31 December 2006. OCLC 223228477. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  125. ^ "Daniel Craig in 007 Lolly". The Daily Telegraph. UK. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 June 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  126. ^ "Del Monte Foods Not Affiliated with "Daniel Craig Ice Lolly" Promotion". Business Wire. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  127. ^ "Casino Royale, Daniel Craig". Entertainment Weekly. 2008. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  128. ^ a b "Film in 2007". BAFTA.org. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  129. ^ "Craig named best actor at Brit film nods". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 February 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
  130. ^ "ADG Awards 2006". Alternative Film Guide. Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  131. ^ "2006 Winners". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  132. ^ "Satellite Awards – 2006". Alternative Film Guide. Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2007.
  133. ^ "Casino Royale receives five Saturn Award nominations". MI6-HQ.COm. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  134. ^ "Golden Tomato Awards. Casino Royale and The Queen take top honors in awards for well-reviewed films". Newsday. 10 January 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  135. ^ "Mystery Writers of America Announces 2007 Edgar Award Nominees". Mystery Writers of America (Press release). 19 January 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
  136. ^ Crabtree, Sheigh (12 January 2007). "10 make cut for ACE noms". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  137. ^ "Visual Effects Society 5th Annual VES Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Visual Effects Society. 11 February 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  138. ^ Thompson, Anne; Carl DiOrio (18 February 2007). "Casino, Curse, top ADG Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  139. ^ Cohen, David S. (10 May 2007). "Superman tops Saturns". Variety. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  140. ^ "The 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards Ended with a Bang on Sunday Night". Taurus Worlds Stunt Awards. 21 May 2007. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2008.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Casino Royale (2006 film).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Casino Royale (2006 film).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Casino_Royale_(2006_film)&oldid=1255924713"